Following that, Shallie drove them to Horses Help in nearby Bellevue. Emma rented the property and the stable; she had one full-time assistant, Avery Bridger, whom Shallie knew well, and a part-timer, a young man named Drew Samuels, who was studying physiotherapy. Both were present that afternoon but only Avery was there to greet them. She explained that Emma and Drew were in the paddock behind the stable, working with two experienced horses and a couple of kids, one of whom, a girl of nine, had cerebral palsy. The other, a boy in his teens, had been seriously hurt in a car accident and was recovering his ability to walk.
The group, including Avery, stood by the fence and watched. Carly’s eyes were huge. Cord was paying careful attention, and when the session was over, when the horses had been returned to their stalls and the kids picked up by their parents, they all gathered in the stable. Napoleon the cat joined them, or rather, joined Charley the horse. Both Shallie and Carly got photos of the twosome nuzzling each other.
They greeted all the horses and asked questions. Carly ran back to the car to get her notebook, turned to a fresh page and began writing down Emma’s responses.
Cord talked to Emma about doing something jointly, as a visiting expert, at Hollister Horses. Shallie added her encouragement. “I’ve been trying to get her to visit,” she told Cord.
“You’re welcome anytime,” he said. “We’ll discuss it later. But right now, I see you have another client coming in.”
A middle-aged woman using a walker moved toward them.
After welcoming her, Shallie and company said their goodbyes and left. They’d invited Emma and her staff over for a homemade dinner, so they needed to stop at the local grocery before returning to the apartment.
* * *
FRIDAY MORNING, THEY set off to meet Julie Daniels and her family, who were staying in Tacoma. Shallie was familiar with the town, about half an hour from her neighborhood.
Cord appreciated her handling the transportation, since he felt he would’ve been too nervous to drive. He was going to meet his mother. Just that knowledge brought his thoughts—but not his feelings—to a complete halt once again. His mother. A woman he had no memory of. Not only that, he was meeting her new (well, not so new) family.
He hadn’t wanted to see any pictures of Julie, old or current, although he certainly could have requested some from her or checked online. He didn’t really understand why he felt that way. To create a completely new start? To avoid expectations? To avoid prejudgment?
He was thankful that Shallie and Carly would be there to act as buffers, if that was the right term. Or perhaps as distractions... He knew he’d value their observations, and he’d be interested to hear Carly’s opinion of his new half sister, a girl close to twenty years younger than he was.
“What should I say when I meet Julie?” he asked. He’d run through a number of possibilities in his head, but nothing seemed quite fitting.
“How about hello?” Carly said, and glancing into the backseat, he couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic.
“Carly!” Shallie objected. “This is serious.”
“I know, and I am being serious. What’s the other option—goodbye?”
Cord laughed before Shallie could remonstrate with her again. “She has a point,” he said. “This is either going to be another beginning or another end.”
“See?” Carly said in a snippy voice. “But to go with that hello, why don’t we pick up some flowers for her?”
They did, at the first plant shop they saw. He wondered why he and Shallie hadn’t thought of that. But instead of a bouquet, he chose three elegant orchids, one a soft pink, one a lilac color, the third a pale yellow.
They reached the motel soon after, a well-kept low-slung building painted white with dark green trim. It featured a patio and a garden lush with ferns; Cord wasn’t a gardener, but he could appreciate its beauty.
As they reached the unit’s entrance, the door opened wide before he had a chance to knock. A slim woman, maybe five foot six, wearing her brown hair loose and straight, stood before them.
Cord couldn’t stop staring at her. Eyes the same blue as his, hair lighter, the same cheekbones. She’d be in her midfifties. He knew she’d been twenty when he was born, and after he turned two, they hadn’t been part of each other’s lives.
She’d obviously dressed carefully for the occasion, wearing a black skirt, simple black sandals and a silvery top. Meanwhile, he was in jeans and a light denim shirt, sleeves rolled up. Oh, well. He hoped to make his impression based on character and conversation, not wardrobe.
“Cord?”
“Julie.” Too soon for a hug. He thrust the orchid he was carrying toward her and she placed it on a side table in the narrow hallway. Carly and Shallie held on to the other orchids. “Hi, you’re Shelley?”
“Shallie,” she and Cord said simultaneously.
“And I’m Carly. Um, a friend of theirs.”
They moved into the main room, where they deposited their orchids. Two people were waiting, a fit and very handsome black man with close-cropped hair and muscular arms, and a slight, lovely girl with shiny dark hair and huge brown eyes.
The man stood up, held out his hand and introduced himself. “Chris Daniels. And I know who you all are,” he said with a smile. “This is our daughter, Kathleen.”
The girl threw her arms around Carly. “I’m really excited to meet you! So, you’re a friend of Cord’s.”
After a heartbeat’s worth of silence, Carly nodded. “Well, it’s a complicated story, but...yeah.”
Chris offered everyone coffee—Cord figured he wanted to end an awkward moment—and Carly said emphatically that she’d have one “with lots of cream.”
Kathleen seemed surprised by that, but Chris grinned. “Coming right up.” He moved into the suite’s galley kitchen, complete with fridge, coffee maker, the works.
Julie invited them to sit at the table; their coffee was served—with plain milk for Kathleen—accompanied by a large platter of muffins and brownies. Good thing they hadn’t had much for breakfast. Afterward, the others acknowledged that he and Julie needed time alone.
Despite the importance of this private meeting, Cord felt nervous when they left for the front patio and sat in two of the Adirondack chairs in the shade.
Julie began with a deep, shaky breath. “You’re my son and I’m your mother. It’s not simply a biological connection, although it must feel that way to you.” She paused, eyes closed. “I loved your dad, and I loved—love you. I screwed up. I know it.” Her eyes opened wide at those last words.
“Wait,” Cord said. “You were very young and you’d just lost your husband to a senseless accident.”
“But I had a child.” Tears filled her eyes. “You.”
“My life’s turned out okay.”
“I can’t tell you how thankful I am for that.” She stared down at her hands as she spoke. “I’m a good wife to Chris and a good mom to Kathleen. You’re right, though, I wasn’t capable of that, or the mom part, anyway, all those years ago. And my grief at losing Toby... It made me insane. I had no control over myself anymore.”
“I’m sorry—for both of us.” Cord thought he could understand a little of what she’d been through all those years ago. He felt his resentment begin to lift—it was almost a physical sensation.
“I’m also sorry I blamed your grandparents for never letting us regain contact.”
“You can’t blame them, Julie. They did what they thought was best for me.”
She sighed again. “I agree. You’re right. I was a mess, and I turned your life into a disaster with my neglect—until they came along.” Wiping her eyes, she said, “I should be, and I actually am, very grateful to them. And look at you now! You’re such a success. Eddie Gonzalez told me—and then I checked you out online. Didn’t have the nerve to do that before...” She smiled up at him. “O
h, and I like your girlfriend.”
“So do I,” he said, smiling back, not ready to explain the complexities of his relationship with Shallie. “Listen, we’ll talk more, lots more, but it’s getting noisy out here. Let’s go join the others.”
* * *
THE REMAINDER OF Friday and then Saturday didn’t afford many private conversations—a few brief ones, in which Julie discussed the details of her recovery and described her current job as an organizer with a charity that helped the homeless.
But their meetings and the opportunities they did have to talk felt like a genuine beginning. He needed a chance to absorb everything, these new experiences and feelings, and thought she did, too.
He and Shallie returned to her apartment Friday night, while Carly stayed with Kathleen. They’d spent the day together, doing whatever teenage girls did.
Saturday, they were all in a sociable mood, prepared to have fun. And they did.
Cord had been worried about too much intensity, but after that first hour with Julie, he was more relaxed than he’d expected. He invited the Daniels family to visit the ranch soon.
Carly and Kathleen took off for the afternoon and returned at suppertime with several of Kathleen’s friends.
That evening, Cord and Chris handled barbecue duty on the balcony of Shallie’s apartment, while the women made salads and dessert. Emma joined them, and the girls were fascinated with her work, admiring pictures of the horses.
Cord supposed that in some ways, it was like any other casual, pleasant summer get-together, and yet... It was and it wasn’t. Pleasant, yes, but very much not like other events.
He was genuinely pleased that the trip had gone so well, genuinely thankful to Julie and her family—and to Shallie and Carly.
* * *
SUNDAY MORNING, THEY were on their way home. Carly admitted to herself that it was home. At least, Cord’s place was for now, although she was actually living with Tina and Mitch. Whatever happened, however things turned out, Painted Pony Creek was her hometown. And she had only good feelings about that, about her future.
Everything was so different from what her life had been. She wasn’t naive; she knew she’d face difficulties again. Everyone did. Disappointment, grief, regret. But she felt far more prepared to face them.
She didn’t pay as much attention to the unbelievably beautiful landscape, highlighted by the brilliant early-morning sun, on their return trip.
During a too-brief stop in Spokane, she checked her cell. Another text from Lindsey. Yesterday’s visit with Meg’s cats had gone well—and Eric had shown up again. Eli had only dropped him off this time, hadn’t stayed, but had come back an hour later to pick him up. She said her conversation with Eric had been friendly; he’d told her he was interested in continuing with the pet support group, as Lindsey and Carly were now calling it.
She also got a text from Kathleen, who said she was excited to have met her, they’d keep in touch, see each other soon.
One of the things Carly had learned in Painted Pony Creek was that life provided opportunities. You had to recognize and value them. She didn’t want to sound all “positive thinking”—but it was true.
Hmm. Might be a song there...
CHAPTER NINETEEN
TINA’S SIXTY-FIFTH WAS on the twenty-third of August, a Friday. The party and concert were taking place tonight, Saturday evening. As far as Shallie could tell, Tina wasn’t aware of the extent to which this party was in her honor, probably figured it would be a handful of people, a few drinks and appetizers on the porch. One of her daughters, Caroline, was busy keeping her occupied in the trailer.
Carly and The GateCrashers had managed to fit in another couple of rehearsals, and Shallie knew she felt confident about her ability and her contributions. She’d be singing her own creations, the song for Reba, plus the animal one, and she’d do a special version of “Happy Birthday” for Tina. Of course she’d also join in on a number of other songs.
The audience would include Tina’s family and friends, the Lewises with Holly, Russ, and many more. Unfortunately, Julie, Chris and Kathleen couldn’t make it, although Cord had invited them; Chris was on a special deployment to help fight a growing wildfire in the state.
Bailey’s was handling the food, mostly appetizers, and drinks, setting up a small bar. Brynne had obtained the liquor license and also arranged for a quantity of nonalcoholic drinks, finishing up with coffee.
Fifty or sixty people were expected. The performers would be up on the “stage”—Cord’s porch. Mitch and the musicians were in charge of the sound. And Susan had put together an exhibit of photographs reflecting Tina’s life.
It was now four o’clock, and the party had a six o’clock start. As Shallie observed, everything was prepared and under control. The lineup of songs was complete. The final rehearsal had been at Bailey’s the afternoon before and if the cheers and applause they’d received were any indication, Tina’s concert should be a rousing success...
Cord had rented dozens of portable chairs from a place in Billings; they’d been delivered that morning and set up on the lawn facing the porch, although people could sit on the grass if they preferred. Russ had come over to help with arranging the chairs and was now assisting Brynne and her two servers. J.P. offered to watch the dogs, while Eli and his deputy Amos were providing security.
Shallie figured that even if Tina knew more about the party than they realized, there’d still be some surprises.
At five thirty guests began to arrive; Carly, Shallie and Lindsey helped seat them. Brynne and her staff, with the assistance of temporary server Russ, were handing around appetizers and drinks.
The Lewises were among the first, and Len was immediately drafted by Mitch and Aaron for a final check of the sound system. Cord had taken on the role of general oversight, handling whatever was needed, directing traffic—cars were parked along the sides of the long drive—and answering questions.
Mary Jean took care of the gift table, where people placed their wrapped packages and cards, while Caroline and her daughter, Ashley, were still keeping Tina entertained in the trailer.
There sure were a lot of people involved in pulling this off—and a lot of guests. That told Shallie how beloved Tina was. She went over to the photo exhibit to study it one more time. Pictures, black-and-white as well as color, of Tina’s early life, her wedding, a portrait of her and Mitch and their children... Carly joined her, a nostalgic expression on her face.
They waved at Eli and Amos, who stood at the edges of the crowd, and then at J.P. who had Trooper, Cord’s dogs and several others under his control.
What a night this was going to be! For maybe the thousandth time, Carly told Shallie how lucky she felt to be part of this community.
The party was about to start, Cord announced as Susan headed over to the trailer to fetch Tina and the other family members.
Ten minutes later, she led her mother out to a burst of applause. Everyone stood. There were shouts of “Happy Birthday, Tina!” and “Yay, Tina!”
Tina seemed overwhelmed, raising her hand to her mouth; Mitch moved it aside and kissed her fervently—which brought more applause—then led her to a chair in the front row. Cord said that once Tina was served and given a class of champagne, everyone else should line up and get further snacks and drinks.
An hour of eating and greeting later, Aaron went to the mic and said the concert was now officially underway. People settled in to listen.
Carly climbed up to the stage and took part in the first few songs—“Walkin’ after Midnight,” “Jolene” and “Ring of Fire.” Then Aaron said that Carly Shannon, whom most of them had met, was going to end this set with a newly written and very personal song of her own called “Mother and Nature.”
When she’d finished her performance, the applause went long and loud, with Cord, J.P. and Eli cheering the longest and loudest of them a
ll. Shallie, standing beside them, had to cover her face to hide her tears—tears of sadness for what she and Shallie had lost and joy for what they’d found.
The break gave their friends and neighbors a chance to chat, to score more food and drink, to hug Tina and wish her the best of birthdays. Carly heard someone say, “You’re a senior citizen now!” Tina just rolled her eyes—seemed to be a habit around here.
The next and final set began with Carly’s animal song, unquestionably a hit with this group. And it ended with her special version of the birthday song.
“Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday, dear Tina,
We all love you!
From the smallest cat to
The biggest horse
Every one of us is on course
To wish you the greatest day
And the best in every way.
Happy Birthday, dearest Tina,
We...all...love...you!”
The audience sang along the second time through, ending in a shout that could have shaken the leaves from the trees.
Tina was openly crying, and she and Shallie rushed over to hug Carly. “You know,” Tina said, “you’re always saying how lucky you are to be with all of us. Well, we’re just as lucky to have you in our lives. Both of you.”
By then all three of them were crying.
A lot of tears tonight, Shallie thought. Almost as many tears as cheers. She couldn’t help a slight grin at her inadvertent rhyme.
Cord joined them then, with a kiss on the cheek for Tina and Carly, and slid his arms around Shallie. She sheltered there, with a feeling of gratitude that these people were in her life, too. Especially Cord...
* * *
AS THE EVENING wound to a close, Eli approached Carly, asking if she’d be willing to meet with him the following day. He knew he’d let this wait far too long. “If you’re available, we’ll go to Sunday brunch at Brynne’s. I’ll pick you up at eleven.” He knew he sounded more abrupt and businesslike than he’d intended, but he didn’t want to reveal the slightest hint of anxiety. If he turned out to be Carly’s father, he had to be ready for the changes that would bring. And if he didn’t...the disappointment.
Country Strong--A Novel Page 25
